...Because if you're interested in buying this video you surely have seen AH by now, and even if you haven't, there are plenty of other reviews on this page that discuss plot, jokes, etc.
I just want to comment on the DVD itself, and the packaging. For someone who is reportedly so particular about how his films are treated, it's amazing that Woody Allen has allowed such a shabby dub to pass through. This is a garden-variety print of AH with sections that look like they were dragged across the floor. Even those annoying little "dots" at the end of a scene that tells the projectionist of a reel change have been left in. This is the only DVD in my whole 100+ collection that has this ancient artifact.
This version of AH is *not* anamorphic! That's just mind-blowing to me, and it degrades the picture quality still further if you're watching on HD equipment.
As with Woody's DVDs, there is no commentary and no extras, aside from a trailer. Oddly, for such a short film, it's divided into FIFTY chapter stops! I have seen this sort of division with movies like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, but this?!
Of course the movie itself is wonderful, though I'm not as convinced as others that it's the immortal classic it's billed as being. Time will tell, but there are along with some brilliantly-staged scenes, a lot of awkward bits. I don't mean to come off like the guy in line behind Woody at the movie theater, but certain parts of AH lack a certain cohesiveness. Still, it's one of Woody's best films, warts and all, and should be in any Woody Allen collection. But this presentation is hardly ideal. I wonder what Criterion could do with this.Get more detail about Annie Hall.
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